Erasing Stigma, Improving Access to Behavioral Care with Telemedicine

There’s no denying the social stigma associated with behavioral health. It affects how we perceive mental illness or addiction and those affected by it. Every year one in five adults is diagnosed with mental health disorders. Yet the stigma remains, preventing individuals from seeking the care they need. In fact, in a given year, nearly 60% of Americans affected by mental illness do not receive mental health services.

A health care bill recently released by Senate Republicans could up the uncertainty regarding behavioral health in the U.S. This bill proposes huge cuts to Medicaid, which will “[result] in fewer people having access to insurance … and less coverage for essential behavioral health care,” says Dr. Saul Levin, CEO and medical director of the American Psychiatric Association.

This is the hard truth – more than half of the people living with a mental health disorder do not receive quality care. The outcome? Higher mortality and disability rates associated with leading causes of death in America, like depression and suicide. Fortunately, there’s been a recent positive change in how we think about mental health, and a push for shifting the model for care delivery.

Many providers now use telemedicine to expand access to qualified psychologists and therapists to more patients, while increasing efficiency. For one Vidyo customer, the average cost-per-discharge for behavioral health emergencies decreased by about 59% through the use of telemedicine instead of in-person care. Another Vidyo customer reports a 20% reduction in length of stay (LOS), saving tens of millions of dollars per year.

14% of Americans live in rural America. That’s roughly 46 million people living in areas where access to behavioral health care services is shockingly limited. The availability of proper care is already limited, adding to the weight of social stigma preventing them from seeking care.

The Arrowhead Health Alliance (AHA), a Vidyo customer and partner of the Minnesota Department of Human Services, provides better access to quality behavioral health services across a vast, rural region of Minnesota covering 20,000 square miles. It is the first community-based organization to deliver mental health care, and it improves population health outcomes with its telehealth services. The Minnesota DHS already has over 3,000 Vidyo user accounts on their network.

The AHA wants to amplify the conversation about behavioral health, and combat the stigma. It acknowledges that emotional health affects physical health. Amanda Radtke, a psychotherapist with the AHA, says “teletherapy allows us to connect with clients who would not otherwise be able to access mental health services.”

Startups like Level Therapy and initiatives like the AHA get us closer to fixing a devastating national problem. Telemedicine breaks barriers like location and cost, and will play an increasingly active role in delivering quality care to more people in more places with behavioral health challenges.

About Vidyo, Inc.

Vidyo is the leader in integrated video collaboration for businesses that require the highest quality, real-time video communications available to directly embed into their business processes. Millions of users around the world visually connect every day with Vidyo’s secure, scalable technology and cloud-based services. Vidyo has been awarded over 170 patents worldwide and is recognized by industry analysts for its cloud platform and APIs. Thousands of enterprises, service providers, and technology partners leverage Vidyo’s technology to create innovative HD quality video-enabled applications. Learn more at www.vidyo.com, on the blog, or follow Vidyo on Twitter @vidyo and on Facebook.

###

The VIDYO logo is a registered trademark of Vidyo, Inc., VIDYO and the trademarks of the VIDYO family of products are trademarks of Vidyo, Inc. and the other trademarks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners.

Many of the products and features described herein remain in varying stages of development and will be offered on a when-and-if available basis. The product plans, specifications, and descriptions are provided for information only and are subject to change without notice, and are provided without warranty of any kind, express or implied. Vidyo reserves the right to modify future product plans at any time.